Aarogyam bhashkaradichchet / आरोग्यं भास्करादिच्छेत् – Part 1 / भाग १

Dr. Vidushi Agrawal:

Introduction to Bone Health:

Bone Health is very important. Bones form the external supporting and protective structure of the body. Generally, there are 206 bones in the human body. Bones also help in the movement of the body. Hence, if the bones get weaker, it will affect the movement and safety of the delicate parts of the body.

Bones contain mainly Calcium and Phosphorus. Vitamin D promotes the absorption of Calcium and Magnesium also promotes Bone Health and helps proper absorption of Vitamin D and Calcium.

We will take these topics one by one in the coming months, on how to keep our bones healthy, how our bones can get these minerals and vitamins appropriately, which foods should be consumed for the good health of the bones and which should be avoided that drain these vitamins and minerals from our body and how frequently different foods should they be eaten and why?

Calcium Tablets – Are they REALLY NECESSARY?

These days we all tend to take calcium tablets right from the age of 30/ 35 or maybe earlier too which are fortified by Vitamin D.

After taking this tablet we think our Vitamin D and Calcium will become normal and after taking it for a couple of months we stop it on our own… (We generally tend to follow Google Ji)

We do not take it because a doctor has prescribed, but because my friend/ relative/ neighbor is taking it. Despite taking these tablets or sachets of Calcium and Vitamin D, we still suffer from backache or pain in joints without understanding if calcium tablets/powder fortified with Vitamin D has really benefitted us or not.

Sometimes, the doctor also prescribes them in the form of tablets/sachets, however, do we get our blood rechecked if Vitamin D has become normal in our blood? Calcium will mostly be always normal in blood because when calcium drops in blood, calcium from bones moves out in the blood.

Vitamin D acts as a catalyst to direct calcium in bones, so when Vitamin D is less, calcium from food does not enter the bones. Hence, when Vitamin D is less, calcium in foods/tablets will not be directed within the bones.

What happens with extra calcium in the blood? Weakens the bones, causes kidney stones, and interferes with the working of the heart and other organs as well and more severe diseases.

Remember –Take Away

1. Calcium in blood will never be low, because whenever calcium in blood is low, calcium from bones comes into the blood making your bones weaker.
2. If Vitamin D has been low for quite some time, then definitely whatever amount of calcium tablet you are taking, it’s just a path to severe diseases.
3. The foods that we eat daily contains sufficient amount of daily calcium requirement. Hence it is not required to take calcium tablets separately.

Foods Rich in Calcium:
Vegetarian Sources
Dairy Products, Soybeans, tofu, Dark green leafy vegetables, figs, seeds like sesame, chia, poppy, sunflower, nuts like almonds, beans and lentils, amaranth, oranges, broccoli, kale, collard greens, okra /lady finger, sweet potatoes, beet greens, fruits like kiwi, guavas, apricots, pineapples

Non-Vegetarian Sources
Sardines, salmon, eggs, tuna

How much to consume which food?
We need to understand which foods will actually help to increase our Calcium and Vitamin D Levels and which will not. Just by understanding that these foods are rich in calcium, they are not going to increase calcium levels in our blood or going to give us a lot of Calcium,or make our bones stronger.

Our blood pH is between 7.35-7.45 – slightly alkaline in nature, hence 80% food in our diet must be alkaline and only 20% has should be acidic. Hence, alkaline sources of foods should be a major part i.e., 80% of your daily diet more. The more acidic food you eat, calcium will be lost more and so will your bones weaken further.
As such most foods contain calcium moreover in less or more amounts, however, the above-mentioned sources of foods have a higher amount of calcium as compared to others.

We will talk about the alkalinity of foods in the next article

Questions Invited: Please feel free to share your queries on dr.vidushi.agrawal@gmail.com (please be careful about the spelling in the email id)– we will take question and answers in the next article on 3rd Saturday of May 2023 i.e., May 23, 2023. Please send your queries by the 10th of May 2023. You may choose to reveal your name or if not, let us know we will put anonymously